The Necklace
by 554Laura
Summary: A one shot inspired by FaithnBones' excellent story "A Thankless Job", this entry ties up a loose thread from "A Big Beef in the Royal Diner". You know the scene, right?. This story is AU because it's set in the future.


_A/N: I was reading FaithnBones' excellent story "A Thankless Job", and it occurred to me that there was a little loose end that needed to be tied up from season 10. Loose ends bother me, so this story was born to take care of the issue. I'm sure this has been addressed before, but this is my version of what happened. I hope you enjoy it. If you have time to review, I'd appreciate it. Laura._

* * *

"Wow, Mom. Fifteen years of marriage. That's amazing! Happy Anniversary!" Christine Booth settled into a small upholstered chair nestled next to the dresser in her mother's bedroom. The teenager ran her fingers through her long strawberry blonde hair as she chattered happily. "Daddy says he's pulling out all the stops for tonight's special date to mark the occasion."

Brennan smiled happily as she unbuttoned her blouse. "I'm sure he has something quite elaborate planned for us this evening, but he has refused to offer the slightest hint about those plans other than to say I should wear a nice dress." Stepping out of her boots and casting aside her work clothes, she glanced at her daughter. "That's why I wanted your opinion on my clothing choices."

"What? Why?" Giggling, Christine shook her head as she realized her mother's ulterior motive. "Oh, I get it. You're going to pump me for information, aren't you? Well, I don't know where he's taking you...at least not for sure." Grinning at her mother's slight scowl, the girl chuckled. "You really don't like surprises, do you?"

"No, I don't. I much prefer to know all of the parameters of an event so that I can plan my attire accordingly." Shrugging her shoulders as she undid her ponytail, Brennan brushed her hair and grinned sheepishly at her daughter. "I suppose that's why your father says I'm a bit of a control freak."

"A _bit_ of a control freak?" Christine laughed out loud as she rolled her eyes at her mother. "That's like saying Daddy is a _bit_ of a Flyers' fan. I'd say you're a major control freak, Mom. I mean, you have a hard time just going with the flow on stuff, right? You like to have things planned down to the last detail."

"Yes, I know. I suppose that is quite ironic, isn't it? I'm a control freak, and I have no control over your father's plans for our anniversary commemoration." Brennan sighed as she opened her closet door. "However, that doesn't solve the problem at hand, does it? Given the rather limited knowledge you seem to have about your father's plans, what do you think I should wear this evening?"

Rising from the chair, Christine sauntered over to peek over her mother's shoulder into the large walk in closet. "Hmm...well, since Daddy picked out the restaurant, I don't think it's going to be extremely formal, so you won't need one of those sequin covered dresses with a long skirt. Don't you have a cocktail dress of some sort? You know, knee length, form fitting, low cut, and sexy?"

"Just what do you know about how a sexy dress should be designed, Christine?" Brennan arched an eyebrow at the teenager standing behind her. "What have you and Kyle been up to while you've been 'studying together'?"

"Um...nothing really...it's just something I read about online…" Embarrassed and wanting to change the subject, Christine pulled out a couple of likely candidates for the evening's festivities. Holding up a lilac blue silk dress against her mother, the girl nodded. "Low cut neckline...snug fit...sleeveless...gotta show off those assets…" Seeing her mother's questioning gaze, Christine quickly continued. "The length's good, too...right at the top of your knee." A look of surprise crossed the girl's face as she examined the dress more closely. "It still has the price tag attached. Why haven't you worn it? It's beautiful."

"Your Aunt Angela insisted that I buy it when we went shopping for clothing to wear for the wedding of Cam's youngest son." Brennan grimaced slightly as she took the hanger from Christine and put it back in the closet. "However, I think the design is too youthful...it's not appropriate for someone my age. I plan on returning it very soon." Looking at the hanger in Christine's hand, she nodded at it. "I think I'll wear my black dress tonight."

Christine sighed in exasperation as she took the blue dress from the closet and put the black dress away. "Oh, come on, Mom. I bet this dress looks great on you. It's a classic style, so it's not too 'young', okay? Besides, you take care of yourself, and you're in good shape, so don't pull that 'I'm an old lady' crap on me." She handed the hanger to her mother as she chose the accessories for the dress. "Let's see...we need to add some glamorous shoes…" She pulled a pair of strappy black stiletto heels from a shelf. "These will show off your legs in that shorter skirt. You know Daddy likes that a lot…he's gonna think you look hot, Mom."

"Those shoes are attractive, but I've found that they're really not very practical to wear anywhere, especially if we're going to dance. You are correct in your assessment, however. Your father always comments on my appearance when I wear them with a dress." Reluctantly taking the dress from the hanger, Brennan stepped into the slim skirt and pulled the fitted bodice up over her shoulders before fastening the zipper on the side. Turning to look at her reflection in the full length mirror, she smoothed the skirt down over her hips and smiled. "I suppose this dress does seem to fit well. I think your father will find it quite alluring…"

"That color is great on you, too. It makes your eyes look really blue. Now all you need is some jewelry." Christine walked over to the dresser and began to look through her mother's jewelry box. "Nothing extravagant...some simple gold earrings and a necklace to call attention to that low cut neckline. Hey, this one might work." Tilting her head to one side, she studied the piece of jewelry before handing the velvet lined case to her mother. "It's pretty, but I don't think I've ever seen you wear it."

It was a narrow, slightly curved bar of gold suspended from golden chains attached on either side of it. Brennan bit her lip as she suddenly sat down on the edge of the bed. "Oh, Christine…", she breathed softly. "I can't wear this necklace tonight…"

"Why not? It's perfect for the dress, and it even looks a little bit like a flattened arm bone.", Christine said quietly as she noticed her mother's unexpected distress. "Have I done something wrong, Mom? I was only trying to help you get ready…I didn't mean to upset you."

"You did nothing wrong, Sweetheart." Biting her lip, Brennan studied the slender sliver of gold in her hand. "I was just remembering when I received this particular piece of jewelry. Your father gave this necklace to me about ten years ago, and when he did, he also mentioned that looked like a humerus."

"I don't understand." Christine's brows knit together as she pondered that small revelation. "If Daddy bought this for you, why wouldn't you wear it? Especially if it looks like a bone…"

"I'm afraid it's rather hard to explain." Taking a deep breath, Brennan blinked back a few tears as she reminisced about had happened. "He came to my office one afternoon and said he had a present for me. It wasn't any special occasion, but he said he wanted to give me a gift because he loved me. When I opened the box and saw this necklace, I was thrilled. Because he knew me so well, he'd picked out a perfect piece of jewelry for me. It's exquisite, isn't it? So delicate, and with its simple, classic design, I could wear it everywhere I went." She smiled faintly as she ran her finger across the gleaming object. "He helped me put it on, and I loved it immediately, but I knew it was probably very expensive, and I wondered how he'd been able to afford it." Brennan paused as she remembered what happened next, unsure of how much her daughter knew of Booth's past situation. "I said I had something for him, too, and I handed him his Gamblers' Anonymous sobriety chip. He'd left it in a pair of pants that were going to be sent to the cleaners. He always carried that chip with him wherever he went, and it was unusual that he'd been so careless with it, leaving it in his clothes like that. It was something he'd never done in all the time we lived together. He'd always cherished that token because it meant so much to him, especially after he'd worked so hard to earn it. I handed the chip to him, and when I saw the guilty look on his face as he took it, I knew...I knew he'd been gambling again, and that he'd bought me that necklace with the money he'd won from betting on a ballgame or a card game of some sort, even though he'd promised me that he wasn't involved in gambling any more."

"Oh, Mom…", Christine began to cry quietly as she sat down next to her mother. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know…"

"Of course you didn't know." Brennan put her arm around her daughter to comfort her. "You were quite young when that sad chapter of our lives was unfolding."

"I remember that Daddy didn't live with us for a couple of months before Hank was born." Sighing, Christine leaned against her mother and shook her head. "I didn't understand why at the time, but a few years ago, when I turned fifteen, he told me everything. He said I was old enough to know what had happened to him in the past, and he explained that I needed to be aware of the tendency toward addiction that runs in his family in case I encountered those temptations in my own life."

"I see." Brennan gently stroked her daughter's hair, thinking about how hard that discussion must have been for her husband. Admitting his own failings to the daughter who adored him would be a monumental task for him to undertake, but he'd swallowed his pride to do what was best for his little girl. "Your Daddy loves you very much, Christine. He only wants what's best for you."

"I know." Christine sniffled a bit as she reached over to touch the golden pendant. "If this necklace has such bad memories for you, Mom, why did you keep it?"

"I've always thought it was silly to attach emotional value to objects…" Brennan said quietly. "...I don't usually do that…"

"Unless I want to wear Grandma's silver dangle earrings, right? The round ones with the silver beading? Those earrings mean a lot to you, don't they?", Christine laughed. "I know better, Mom…even you get attached to certain things..."

"You're right. Those earrings do mean a lot to me. They always remind me of my mother." Brennan shook her head as she remembered how Booth had found one of the earrings at a crime scene while they were in New Orleans many years ago, and how grateful she'd been when he'd returned it to her. Pausing slightly, she chewed her lip as she tried to explain her thoughts to her daughter. "I couldn't wear this necklace in good conscience, knowing how your father had obtained the money to purchase it, but on the other hand, I couldn't return it or part with it in some other way, because your father had given it to me as a token of his love for me. Even when he was gambling and lying to me, I still loved him, and I could never forget that, because I knew that deep down inside of him, no matter what he was doing, the good man that I had married was still there, and that he still loved me, too. I just wasn't sure he remembered that, because at the time his gambling addiction seemed more important to him than his family. That was why I had to ask him to leave our house for a while...to protect you, and to make him realize what he was missing."

"I get that. I know that situation was hard on both of you." Christine turned to look at her mother, smiling slightly. "But that was a long time ago, right? I mean, it's been at least ten years since he's gambled, and I know you've forgiven him and you've both moved on together. After all that's happened, you've been happily married for fifteen years. Maybe it's time to forget about all those bad times that happened in the past, and enjoy this necklace the way Daddy wanted you to. Maybe you can think of it as a symbol of the good times ahead. C'mon, Mom. Think logically. Doesn't that make sense? Why would you still associate a piece of jewelry with one bad period of time when there have been so many more pleasant years to make up for it?"

"I don't know." Brennan ran her finger along the fine gold chain. "It's difficult for me to let go of the past sometimes." Smiling at Christine's surprise, Brennan brushed a tear away as she continued. "I know...you probably never realized that your supposedly practical mother often clings to past hurts and fears, but I'm afraid I do. I've given emotional significance, both good and bad, to inanimate objects just like other people do, even though it makes very little sense to do so." Hesitating slightly, she lifted the necklace from its case and held it up to her throat. "Do you really think this necklace goes with this dress?"

"Yeah, I really do." Christine checked the time on the nightstand clock and made a silly face at her mother. "You need to finish getting ready soon or Dad's gonna wear a hole in the living room carpet with his pacing back and forth. Here...let me help you with that." She fastened the necklace's tiny golden clasp for her mother, and glanced at their reflection in the mirror. "Perfect. I think Daddy's gonna be pleased when he sees you wearing that necklace, Mom…"

"I hope so." Brennan gave her daughter a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you for helping me, Christine...with everything..."

Smiling happily at her mother, the girl nodded as she left the bedroom. "No problem, Mom. Have fun this evening…"

Oooooooooo

Booth was quite pleased with the surprise he'd managed to pull off for their fifteenth wedding anniversary. In spite of his wife's somewhat nosy nature, he'd been able to keep his plans for the evening a secret. He smiled to himself as the SUV sped along in the darkness, knowing how happy his wife would be with his choice for their celebration.

He glanced at her, once again thankful that the amazing person sitting next to him had chosen to be his bride fifteen years ago. She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever known, even with an occasional wrinkle here or there or the few strands of gray that were mixed in with her auburn hair. The depth of his feelings for her had continued to grow over the years, until it was impossible to think of living his life without her in it. There was no two ways about it...she was simply wonderful, and he felt extremely fortunate to have her as his wife.

She gasped with pleasure as he turned the car into the parking lot in front of Marcel's. "Booth...how did you know I wanted to come here? I've wanted to try this place, but we've been so busy…"

"Well, I am a seasoned investigator, you know.", he said, chuckling as she raised an eyebrow at him. "It was simple. I had Angela do some research for me. She said you've mentioned this place several times since it opened a couple of months ago." Handing the car keys to the parking valet, he put his arm around his wife as they entered the swanky restaurant. "We have reservations for dinner, and then later, you have a choice of events. We can go listen to some jazz at a club downtown, or we can go dancing...or, if you're feeling adventurous, we can do both."

"Or maybe we can linger over dinner a while and then go home and spend some time together in a more intimate manner. I'm sure you remember that Hank and Christine will both be gone from home until late tomorrow afternoon."

Licking his lips slightly in anticipation of her suggestion, Booth nodded. "Yeah...I remember. Now that you mention it, that does sound like an excellent way to spend the evening." He gave his name to the maitre'd and they were shown to a beautifully appointed candlelit table. After helping his wife with her coat and her chair, he sat down across from her and asked the waiter to bring them a bottle of the restaurant's best champagne.

He grinned at her unspoken question. "Nothing but the best for my wife. I think you'll really like this place. They have all sorts of vegetarian entrees listed on their online menu. Gordon-Gordon knows the chef here and says the guy is top notch."

"It appears that they also have some entrees featuring beef as well." Brennan looked over her menu with interest. "Although you really should consider having fish or chicken instead. It'll be better for your cholesterol levels."

"Hey, let's forget about that stuff for tonight, okay? We're gonna have fun and eat what we want this evening, alright?" He nodded as he gave her an appraising glance. "I really like that dress on you. It fits really well, and that color is perfect. It makes your skin seem to almost glow, you know?"

"Thank you. Christine helped me decide what to wear." Without thinking, her hand went up to her throat, brushing her necklace.

Catching a glint of gold, Booth was astounded by what he saw resting at the base of his wife's throat. "Bones...that necklace...it's the one I gave you...all those years ago…when I was still gambling..." Suddenly embarrassed, he felt his cheeks begin to burn. "Jesus...I don't know what to say. I didn't think you still had it…"

"Booth…", Brennan began quietly as she put her hand over his. "I didn't wear this necklace to upset you." She averted her eyes from his intense gaze. "Christine found it in my jewelry box, but she didn't understand its significance. She just knew it was pretty, thinking it would look nice with my dress...and she was right about that. She was also correct in stating that I should wear it tonight because it would demonstrate that those sad events that happened in the past have been forgiven and forgotten. We're happy now, and I can attach good memories to this piece of jewelry to replace the bad ones…"

Feeling slightly shellshocked, Booth slumped in his chair. "I can't believe you kept that thing all these years. I thought you'd returned it to the jeweler's."

"I've kept all the gifts you've given me, Booth...every single one." She bit her lip slightly, trying to find the right words to say. "I know you gave me this necklace because you love me, although I don't need gifts to know how you feel about me. Because it came from you, I couldn't bear to part with it, so I've kept it in my jewelry box since I received it. Every so often I'll take it out and admire it, but I couldn't actually bring myself to wear it until Christine pointed out that what happened all those years ago shouldn't keep us from being happy now."

"Our daughter is brilliant, isn't she?" Booth grinned in spite of himself. "I'm glad you kept it, Bones, but I'm not sure I want to see it on you, because it makes me remember how I got the money to buy it, you know? I mean, it's kind of like a kick in the ass, reminding me I used to be a real bastard."

"It's true...you were being a real bastard at the time, Booth." Seeing his scowl and realizing he'd misunderstood what she was saying, Brennan quickly continued. "But look at how much we've overcome since then. You haven't gambled for over ten years. We've stayed together through some extremely difficult times, when most couples would've given up on each other. We've lost family members, but we've managed to support each other emotionally while we've grieved." She sighed as she folded her hands in her lap. "Everything that's happened to us...even your gambling problem...has helped us become a stronger familial unit. I believe we are now strong enough as a couple to reach your initial goal of us spending fifty years together." She ran her finger across the gold bar at her throat once again. "I want to wear this necklace to give me hope...to remind me that we can overcome anything as long as we're together. However, if the necklace bothers you, I'll put it away, and I won't wear it again."

The waiter brought the champagne to the table and poured a glass for each of them before taking their order. They sipped their drinks in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Finally, Booth cleared his throat softly.

"As soon as I saw that necklace in the shop window, I knew I wanted to buy it for you, Bones. I knew it was perfect for you. I'd saved up some money to put it in layaway, but then I used what I'd saved to place a bet on a baseball game, and I won big. I was feeling on top of the world when I went to pay cash for it at the jewelry store." He put his glass down and took her hand. "Being able to buy that nice necklace for my wife made me feel like a success, but what I didn't realize at the time was that being married to you was what actually made me a successful man. The fact that you'd chosen me for your husband should've been enough for me, Bones. You were all I ever needed. When I look back at that time in my life...when I realize what I almost lost…" Swallowing hard, he inhaled deeply before finally smiling at his wife as he continued. "Listen, I want you to wear that necklace every chance you get, okay? It's gonna remind me of exactly how much I won when you said you'd marry me. I got the best prize any man could win, you know? I really hit the jackpot when I convinced you to take a chance on me. I'm the luckiest man in the world to have you as my wife."

"I love you, Booth." Brennan blinked back a tear as she returned his smile. "Happy Anniversary."

Nodding to the waiter as he brought their meals, Booth grinned at Brennan. "Happy Anniversary." He took a bite of his steak, chewing thoughtfully before twitching an eyebrow at her. "Remember what you said about us lingering over our dinner and then spending some quality time together this evening? Maybe we could do just that, only without the lingering over dinner part."

Wearing a sultry smile, Brennan nodded. "I agree, Booth. I find I'm quite anxious to go home. Perhaps you should ask our waiter for some take home boxes, and we can eat this meal for lunch tomorrow…"

"An excellent idea. That's just another reason why I married you, Bones...you're so smart." Summoning their very surprised waiter, Booth asked for their bill. "And we need some to-go boxes, too. Hey, hurry it up and there'll be an extra ten in it for you…"

Laughing as they quickly left the restaurant, Booth sent the valet for his car. Pulling Brennan close, he kissed her, caressing her gently before reaching up with his finger to touch her necklace. "I love you so much, Bones. Don't ever forget that, okay? Even when I'm acting like a bastard, I'll always love you."

"I know, Booth. I'll always love you, too. Let's go home and I'll show you how much…"

Booth sighed happily as he opened the car for her. "I really am the luckiest man in the world."

* * *

 _A/N 2: I know you may be wondering why Booth didn't notice her necklace before they got to dinner. It's mostly because it fit better with the story that way, but it's also been my experience that men rarely notice a woman's jewelry if there are other assets on display. ;) Laura._


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